Leaf collection in Hillsdale is still relatively unsolved despite City Council efforts to come up with a solution. Last year, the council voted to privatize the service, hoping it would fix inefficiencies and save taxpayer money.
The latest City Council meeting saw intense discussion about their inability to fix the issue.
Mayor Adam Stockford said that he’s heard from multiple citizens about their unhappiness with the leaf collection problem.
“They said, ‘you guys have been stripping things away from us year after year after year. You took pretty much the last city service that we had with the exception of the police and fire department that every person in the city can make use of.’ I’m frustrated that we didn’t come up with a way to fund leaf collection this year,” Stockford said.
Stockford also apologized to residents for ever voting for the privatization.
“I’m sorry to the residents of Hillsdale that it’s been such a burden on them. I’m ashamed of it actually,” Stockford said. “I never knew it was going to take hundreds of bags on a regular sized city lot to bag your leaves.
Public Services Director Jake Hammel discussed that the issue isn’t all that cut and dried. Per state law, it is illegal for Hillsdale residents to burn leaves in the city. He also noted that it is also against the law to dump any yard waste in a landfill. All yard waste must go into a compost facility.
Hammel said that the Public Service Committee took a “very hard look” at solutions to the collection problem.
“We took a very hard look at leaf vacs. But, those are pieces of equipment that are basically going to sit 10 months a year. So we opted for the lead loader system. It’s the most efficient, fastest system we could find,” Hammel said.
Hammel also detailed Public Services’ plan for mowing leaves in the parks.
“Our park system comprises 177 acres. We spent 71 man hours. We hauled zero leaves out of the parks last year. I don’t think anyone noticed,” Hammel said.
For residents who wish to bag their leaves, Modern Waste Systems will pick up bagged leaves on Saturday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 5. All leaves must be placed in biodegradable paper bags. Bags are available at Gelzer’s Hardware, Family Farm and Home, Market House, and Kroger.